Satonda Island, Sumbawa, West Nusatenggara

Satonda Island a volcanic land formed by a volcanic eruption on the ocean floor as deep as 1000 meters since millions of years ago. The location is very charming island is located in the Flores Sea and administratively entered Nangamiro Village area, Dompu, West Nusa Tenggara.

Satonda Island looks stunning when viewed from the top of Mount Tambora which is located approximately 30 kilometers. Many say that it feels incomplete if it did not climb Mount Tambora visited Satonda Island. Reportedly Satonda more popular among foreign tourists who make it a sort of stopped when visited the island of Komodo National Park from Bali or Lombok. They usually stopped for taking the snorkel in waters around the coastal Satonda have dazzling white sand.

Satonda also store a wealth of coral reefs in the surrounding waters. Satonda Island has been designated as a Marine Natural Park (TWAL) in 1999 by the Ministry of Forestry. That’s because the natural potential of the sea has a wealth of coral reefs. There are several types of coral in the waters around Satonda, namely Acroporidae, Xenia sp, Favidae, Sarcophyton sp, sp Labophyton, Hetractris crispa, Nephtea sp, sp Capnella, Lemnalia sp and sp Astrospicularis. Surely in the living corals are also various kinds of ornamental fish and other sea creatures. Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imricata) are also often seen swimming and foraging around coral reefs Satonda Island. The type of flora that become marine resources around the island vukanis is Ketapang (Terminalia catappa), pandan sea (Pandanus tectorius), banyan (Ficus sp), hibiscus sea (Hibiscus tiliaceus), nyamplung (Calophyllum inophyllum), Mentigi (Pempis sp) and tamarind (Tamarindus indica).In addition to a tourist destination, the island volcano of 2,600 hectares managed by the Natural Resources Conservation Center West Nusa Tenggara was also frequented by scientists and researchers from home and abroad. One reason is because of the existence of the island this one can not be separated from the eruption of Mount Tambora phenomenon that took the world on April 15, 1815. How not, the eruption of Mount Tambora has rocked some parts of the world, and dust pollute the Earth’s atmosphere for years even tear layer thin ozone. Tambora eruption effects also lead to climate change so that it rained non-stop for eight weeks in the UK that trigger epidemics of typhus that killed 65,000 people. The eruption of Mount Tambora also resulted daylight into darkness and affecting harvests in China, Europe and Ireland and led to food shortages in these countries.

Related effects of the eruption of Mount Tambora, the presence of salt water lake in the crater Satonda is one of the unique and interesting effects to be studied.Two European scientists named Stephan Kempe and Josef Kazmierczak Lake Satonda examined in 1984, 1989 and 1996. Their results stated that Satonda is a rare phenomenon because the water is salty with a level of alkalinity (alkalinity) is higher than the sea water in general. Both argued, Satonda basin coincided with the formation of craters old age more than 10,000 years ago. (Microbialites and Hydrochemistry of the Crater Lake of Satonda “, 1996).Satonda crater resembles a figure eight with a diameter of 950 meters each (the south) and 400 meters (East). This ancient lake was formed from the eruption of Mount Satonda thousands of years ago. Volcano Satonda supposedly older than Mount Tambora, or grow along with several parasitic volcanoes scattered around the Tambora. The lake formed in the crater was once filled with freshwater Satonda; the eruption of Mount Tambora resulting tsunami drove the sea water fills the crater and turning it into a salt water lake to this day

On the banks of the lake, you can find a tree with “fruit” stone. Deliberately hung by travelers, this stone is considered to represent the prayers and hope that will reliably fulfilled. When they travel to Nusa Tenggara, there is no harm in exploring an ancient lake in order to feel the different nuances in eastern Indonesia.

How To Get There:

Satonda located in the Village area Nangamiro, Dompu, West Nusa Tenggara. To achieve this there are several alternative paths that can be chosen. Of Sumbawa Besar, the journey to the village of Nangamiro can be reached during the 8-hour drive. If you are from Dompu, the journey to the small village of approximately 5 hours.

Nangamiro of the harbor, the journey to Satonda can be reached by boat for about half an hour drive. Rates boat approximately 25,000, – per person. Another alternative is to take cruises from Bali or Lombok, majored in Flores. The cruise ship is often stopped at Satonda before continuing the journey (usually) to the Komodo National Park.

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